BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

20/07/2006

Belarus: Chavez visit will not focus on clashes with the US

Belarus Foreign Affairs Ministry Thursday denied claims that President Hugo Chavez visit will focus on Venezuela and Belarus "confrontation" with the United States.

"The Belarus party will not put any stress in confrontation," said Andrei Popov, a spokesman for the Belarus Foreign Affairs Ministry, in a news conference, as quoted by Interfax.

Chavez is paying his first official visit to Belarus next July 22-24, amidst a two-week international journey that is also taking the Venezuelan ruler to neighboring Russia.

"We are going to discuss bilateral cooperation issues in the context of the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement," the spokesman added.

Chavez will meet in Minsk with Belarus President Alexandr Lukashenko to initial a number of bilateral economic agreements.

Bilateral trade in 2005 amounted to USD 15.6 million, a 1.3 percent increase compared to 2004.

Source:

http://english.eluniversal.com/2006/07/20/en_pol_art_20A748583.shtml

Google